Diane Knox
BBC Radio 5 live reporter

Persistent rain at Royal Birkdale has left conditions very soggy underfoot.

The tents in the Spectator Village are full to the brim with golf fans watching the last few hours of action on the big screen.

The ones who came equipped with waterproof gear are navigating their way around the back nine creating a sea of umbrellas from hole to hole.

In some areas, grass has turned to mud but the bad weather certainly hasn't dampened spirits at The Open.

Image source, PA

Alfie Plant is home and dry and it looks like he'll be the only amateur to make the cut!

The silver medal awaits... that'll please the travelling Alfie's Army, whose knight outfits must be drenched.

I hope they brought some spare chainmail. They're staying for the weekend.

Brooks Koepka is putting like he's blindfolded right now. Three putts needed from 40ft and that's a eagle putt, turned birdie putt, turned par. He stays at three under and the par five ticks past. Tommy Fleetwood, trying to make the cut, puts a five footer away for birdie and he's played a lovely round today. Hideki Matsuyama makes a rugged par.

Birdie, birdie.

Where's that come from? It's Robert Streb on the turn.

The American sinks birdie putts on both the 10th and 11th to muscle in on that 12-strong crew who are currently under par at The Open.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark this day in your calendar, Jordan Spieth has just three putted. This is alarming as he was only around 20ft away when taking a birdie putt, that's a give away. A par five comes next for him.

Richard Bland is going to drop at least one shot at the 13th.

The Englishman had to take a penalty and completely misjudged his approach to the green once back in play, finding some rough stuff up the bank instead.

Can he do some damage limitation here? He eventually makes it down with his sixth shot. That's a double bogey, and the lead now looks a long way off.

Justin Rose moves to three over par with a birdie at the 15th. That's his second of a somewhat torrid day for his group.

But Rose is by far the lead performer among that trio - Justin Thomas at nine over for the day and six over for the tournament, Louis Oosthuizen at 11 over for his.

Image source, Getty Images

The rain batters down as Henrik Stenson and Jordan Spieth set up birdie looks on 16. Hideki Matsuyama's shoulders slump as he fires from rough to rough on the 15th, a par five. Brooks Koepka is up on the fringe of the green and will have two putts for birdie. He hasn't carded one all day. With Jordan Spieth playing golf of a different kind, Brooks needs one.

`-7 J Spieth (15)

-5 M Kuchar (F); -3 I Poulter (F), B Koepka (14), R Bland (12)

Selected others:-1 R McIlroy (F), H Matsuyama (14); Evens B Watson (F), A Noren (F)

Full leaderboard

Amateur Alfie Plant looks like he's going to sneak inside the cut and prolong his Open weekend.

The 25-year-old, backed by 'Alfie's Army', was buoyed by that eagle at 15 and now heads to the 18th tee at four over.

Easy does it, Alfie.

Sung-hoon Kang is tied for sixth.

The 30-year-old Korean is a green-making machine - 91% of them in regulation so far today.

It keeps him level through 11, and two under for the tournament.

In draining that eagle putt on 15, he stepped to his left and punched the air. He has another par five to come. Fat lady singing?

Image source, Getty Images

I put the live text commentator's curse on Russell Henley.

He immediately went and bogeyed the 17th after that cracking birdie. The American is back in the clubhouse at level par after his second successive round of 70.

Consistency.

Iain Carter
BBC Sport golf correspondent at Royal Birkdale

"Jordan Spieth is making a massive move in this horrific weather."

Wow, Spieth runs home a left-to-right breaker on the 15th green for eagle. He slammed one up the fairway which bounced and bobbled up to the green, even he looked surprised to be in so close and he took full advantage from around 15ft. That feels like a huge moment. Listen to Iain Carter by clicking 'BBC Coverage' in this page.

Spieth is playing on a different course to everyone else... Well, he isn't really but he is able to sink some delightful putts from all sorts of distances. This one was especially nice.

Richard Bland, birdie putt. We've been here before.

He's got a red head to his putter. Is that because he's a Southampton fan? Or is it still scorching hot from those three birdies to finish off yesterday?

Either way, he's not quite got the angle on that one. Bland misses the chance to move to four under. He notches a fourth successive par instead.

Don't forget Ken and the team will have two hours of highlights of round two from 20:00 BST on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website. A link will appear at the top of this page just before time.

Justin Thomas was the talk of Royal Birkdale yesterday for the tie and cardigan combo he rocked out on course.

Today it's his nine at the par-four sixth that will have had tongues wagging.

It's been a pretty woeful round for the American, who also double bogeyed the first and 13th, but finally a little relief - hurrah!

Almost a hole in one from Thomas off the 14th tee. It spins back towards the flag, but stops a revolution or two short. An easy, and most welcome, birdie for the 24-year-old.

Image source, Getty Images

Press Association golf reporter Phil Casey writes: "Matsuyama was playing better in 35mph winds and torrential rain."

It's another bogey for the world number two. The 14th hole - the toughest on the course - sees him miss a putt from 12ft or so. Brooks Koepka has the same line but closer in... misses. Tommy Fleetwood from even closer in... misses.

Shots given away like we're on the strip in Magaluf.